, 1887-08-19
THE WORLDS BIG GUNS.
Some of the Monsters Built for the Ships
and Forts of Foreign Powers.

Some of the Monsters Built for the Ships
and Forts of Foreign Powers.
The progress of thirty years in con-
structing heavy guns has been extraor-
binary. The largest pieces found on war
vessels in 1860 threw a ball weighing IS
pounds, with an initial velocity of 1910
feet per second, and an energy of LOO
DOT tons. Now initial velocities in high
power guns have been increased to Q, 100
feet; projectiles at the maximum weigh
as much as $500 pounds, and in some
cases are propelled by charges of nearly
half a ton of powder, while the 110-ton
guns of the Benbow reach an energy of
about go, 900 foot tons.
Passing over the triumphs obtained by
intermediate calibers, which were remark
able in their day, we find that the largest
French steel gum such as are used for
the armament of the Terrible, completed
at Brest; the Requin, built at Bordeaux;
the Indomitable, built at L'Orient, and
the Caiman, finished at Toulon, weigh
each about 76 tons. They deliver a pro
jectile, weighing 1,716 pounds. with a
muzzle velocity of 1,739 feet per second
and a muzzle energy of 80, 900 foot tons.
The guns are rifed breechloaders. The
French have other powerful guns, those
constructed on the Bange system being
well known.
h Armstrong guns now mounted for
service in the Italian armor clads Duilio,
Dandola, Italia, and Lepanto, weigh 100
tons each, and throw a projectile of 9, 1000
pounds. These have long been familiar,
but the later breech loading guns are
Improvements over the early muzzle
leaders. The most powerful of them
take a powder charge of about 772
pounds, and ave an initial velocity of
1,S35 feet per second, and a muzzle en-
ergy of 81, 900 foot IONS. Guns of 1O5
tons have also been made at Elswick for
the Francesca LAURA, the Andrea Dona
and the Morosini. In these the weight
of the charge is 900 pounds, the weight
of the projectile 1000 pounds, the muz-
zle energy SO, DAT foot tons. These will
undoubtedly prove most formidable
weapons.
h largest Krupp gun weighs nearly
119 tons. 1t is over As feet long, has a
caliber of Is 3-4 inches, and fires a shot
weighing 2,314 pounds, with a muzzle
velocity of 1880 feet. The maximum
elevation gives it a range of nearly Z 1-2
miles. Its power of penetration into
wrought iron is estimated at about Al
inches at the muzzle, 81 inches at the dis
lance of /, 100 yards and 80 inches at J, 900
yards. AT the distance of three miles its
striking average is still about %, 900 foot
tons. The Italians have w of these guns
mounted in a shore battery, for which
purpose they are intended.
The English 11O-ton gun manufac-
tured at Elswick, is about A feet
long, and its actual weight PAT, 1855
pounds. The screw block, removed in
loading, weighs 2 IA tons. The projec-
tile is a bolt weighing 1900 pounds, and
10 IA inches in diameter. With $50
pounds of powder the actual muzzle
velocity attained was 2,O79 feet, and the
muzzle energy "a, 900 foot tons; SO that
with $50 pounds, which the gun is CON
structed to use, an energy on the projec-
tile of GO, 700 foot tons is expected. The
recoil of the gun is very small. The
British also have a powerful new gun in
their 63-ton steel breechloader, which
will be carried on the Rodney. 1t is eX-
pected to throw a 10 1-4-inch shot, of
1850 pounds, with a powder charge of
$50 pounds, and to attain 9, 100 feet
muZzle velocity. Should these expecta-
tons be realized, this gun, though much
lighter, will be more destructive than
the SO-ton gun of the Inflexible. which
takes a projectile of 1,7OO pounds, with
a cartridge of $50 pounds, reaching q
muzzle velocity of I, 600 feet.
1t is said that the next step attempted
in heavy gun construction will be that of
a 15O-ton monster, this project being at
tributcd to the Essen works. 1t would
throw 4 shell six feet long, weighing a
ton and n half. There are also some guns
under construction which are expected to
accomplish great results on somewhat
new theories, as in the case of the one
manufactured for Col. Hope. This is to
take an enormous powder charge, and to
have correspondingly great penetrative
effect. But without going into the pos
sible successes of the future, those which
have already been achieved are suffi-
GENTLY astonishing. New York Sun.